Paarl Boys are backing themselves to beat Grey College at home in what promises to be a battle of attrition.

The Western Cape school are currently ranked No 3 in the country and are on a roll with wins against Affies (13-8), Glenwood (11-9) and Outeniqua (22-17) in recent weeks giving their season some impetus. But 1st XV coach Elmo Wolfaard is giving the rankings little thought ahead of their clash with the No 1-ranked Grey Bloem this Saturday.

‘We’re not paying attention to the rankings, it’s too early for them to be a true reflection as the season ends in August,’ he told keo.co.za. ‘We’re focusing on one game at a time, and this weekend’s match will definitely be a mountain to climb.’

Wolfaard believes his side will have the edge in what is predicted to be wet conditions.

‘We play a forward driven game, and are more adept in wet conditions than Grey,’ he said. ‘I’m sure Grey will come out all guns blazing, and they have a tendency to throw the ball around. But in the wet, it may be to their disadvantage as the greasy ball isn’t conducive to flowing rugby.’

Paarl Boys will adopt a simple game plan against SA’s best.

‘We’ve got to be disciplined, on attack and defence, but even then a team of Grey’s calibre presents a problem,’ said Wolfaard. ‘The best solution is to secure as much ball as possible and work them out of the game. It’s a simple plan, but we have the pack to neutralise them.’

Clearly Paarl are expecting the boot to play a decisive role, but with flyhalf Gavin Hauptfleisch out for a minimum of two to three weeks with a side strain, question marks hang over Paarl Boys’ ability to compete. Not so, says Wolfaard.

‘Our kicking has been good this season, and Johan Cilliers [who's in for Hauptfleisch] adds another dimension to the team. He’s a first-rate flyhalf, and we’re lucky to have two players of such high standard in the mix. He’s accurate with the boot, but also brings a more attacking dynamic to the role, which will be crucial if we’re to finish off what are sure to be limited opportunities in the rain.’

However, Wolfaard is sure a Paarl win won’t be on the back of individual brilliance.

‘It will undoubtedly require a 15-man effort to overcome Grey. Our record isn’t great against them in recent years, but the gap between the two sides is closing. It will be close this Saturday.’